The Bardstown lunch anchor
The Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience at 1311 Gilkey Run Road is the visitor center for one of Bardstown's best-known producers, and Heaven Hill's site lists Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen right there. That makes it the easiest place in Bardstown to put lunch in the middle of the day. The same company also runs a shuttle of its own to its Heaven Hill Springs Distillery for some experiences, and it operates the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Main Street in downtown Louisville. This page explains how those pieces fit with your chauffeured day.
One company's two sides, and the distillery's own shuttle
Heaven Hill describes a shuttle it runs between the Bourbon Experience and its Heaven Hill Springs Distillery. If your reservation includes that ride, your group takes Heaven Hill's shuttle for that segment, and your VET vehicle picks up again when you return to the visitor center. We do not operate the distillery's shuttle, and we cannot change its schedule, so build your plan around the times on your confirmation.
Visitors who like Heaven Hill's bourbons sometimes add the downtown Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on another day. It is on West Main Street in Louisville and part of our Whiskey Row walk-and-ride plan.
Getting there
From downtown Louisville, the drive is about 60 to 65 minutes, roughly 44 miles. From SDF, about 55 minutes. From downtown Jeffersonville, about 65 minutes. Private flyers landing at Samuels Field in Bardstown are about 10 minutes away.
Pickups
We pick up at Louisville hotels and homes, in Southern Indiana, and at SDF. For a straight airport-to-Bardstown ride, our SDF-to-Bardstown article covers that transfer on its own, so this page does not repeat it.
Planning the tasting day
Reserve a late-morning or early-afternoon experience so lunch at Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen lands in the middle of the day. Check the Heaven Hill site for food service times, since they are set separately. After lunch, Willett is about 10 minutes away for an afternoon visit.
Bring a valid photo ID, and a light layer if your experience includes warehouse time.
Pairing with Willett or Bardstown Bourbon Company
Willett Distillery and Bardstown Bourbon Company are each about 10 minutes away. Willett is the pick if you want a family estate and a second meal reservation; Bardstown Bourbon Company is the pick if you want to finish near Lux Row. Our Bardstown day from Louisville puts Heaven Hill in the early afternoon.
A sample Heaven Hill day from Louisville
Most Heaven Hill days follow one pattern: a morning start from Louisville, about an hour south, a late-morning tour, and lunch at Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen before the afternoon stop. After lunch, Willett or Bardstown Bourbon Company are each about 10 minutes away, and the ride home takes roughly an hour. Total driving is about two hours and 20 minutes.
Guests who land at SDF and want Bardstown the same day can come straight from the airport in about 55 minutes. For private flyers, Samuels Field is about 10 minutes from the Gilkey Run Road visitor center, which makes Heaven Hill an easy first stop after a morning landing. If you also plan to see the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience downtown, save it for a Whiskey Row afternoon on another day rather than squeezing both into one.
Reserve your tour directly
Reserve your tour and tasting directly with Heaven Hill on its website. Send us your times, and your chauffeur handles the driving and the timing between stops. Large groups can use Heaven Hill's group and private-event link on the same site.
Choosing a vehicle
An hour each way is a long time in a cramped car. Small groups are comfortable in a luxury SUV, and bigger parties spread out on a shuttle, which also has secure storage for bottles picked up along the way. See our fleet page for vehicle sizes. Every chauffeur is background-checked and trained; our safety standards are on the safety page.
Keep planning
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a restaurant at the Heaven Hill Bourbon Experience?
Yes. Five Brothers Bar & Kitchen is on site. Check Heaven Hill's website for food service times.
How long is the drive from SDF to Heaven Hill?
About 55 minutes from the airport to the Bourbon Experience on Gilkey Run Road.
Which Bardstown distillery pairs with Heaven Hill?
Willett is about 10 minutes away, and so is Bardstown Bourbon Company.